Improvement in machines for blocking- hats



l um@ @We attimi .gaat

JAMEs'A.` BALL AND PETER B. LAWsoN,

4 vorne Letters Patmt No. 83,590, "dated November 3, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHI'ES FOR BLOCKING HATS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom 'it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JAMES A. BALL and Parnu. B. LAWSON, of Gold Spring, Putnam county, New York, have invented a new and' improved Machine for Stretchingand Blocking Hats; and we do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specilication.

This invention relates to a new and improved machine for stretching and blocking hats, in which the expansive force and the heat of steam are made to act directly upon the hat-body, accomplishing the worl; of stretching and blocking the same in a perfect, expeditious, and economical manner.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings- Figure l is a vfront sectional view of our invention, taken in the line .c az, iig. 2.

' Figure 2, a vertical section ofthe same, taken in the line y y, iig.

Similar letters oi' reference indicate corresponding parts.

AA represents an upright trame, composed of two uprights a a, connected at their upper ends by a crossbar, b, and attached at their lower ends to a suitable base, B.

C represents a chamber, which answers the purpose of a mould or ibrmer, to give the proper shape or form to the hat. v

rIhis vchamber is composed`of two cylindrical portions, c d, the upper one, c, being of less diameter than the lower one, d, but of rather greater depth, as shown clearly in both igures, and to the under surface ofthe top of the lower portion, d, there are attached radial ribs e, which may be described as the longitudinal halves of cones, having a horizontal position, as shown clearly in lig. I.

This chamber C has a vertical plate, D, attached eentrally.to it, or cast with it, and the ends of this plate are iitted in grooves in the inner sides of the uprights,Y to insure a vertical rising and falling movement of the chamber, which is given by means of a vertical rack, D', attached to C, and a pinion, E, gearing in D, the pinion being on a horizontL l shaft, F, at the upper part 'of the frame A, which hasa crank, G, at one end.

Although we have described minutclay the part of our machine employed for raising, lowering, and holding lirmly ,down the mould or chamber C, we do not claim any novelty in that part of the machine, nor do we wish to be understood as restricting ourselves to the use of this arrangement of mechanical devices, as any arr-.mgeuient which will hohl down firmly the mould C when it is down, as in tig. 2, and will answer to raise the said mould C, as shown i-n iig. l, will be equally adapted to our machine, and may be used instead of the aluwe-descrbed device.

H represents a perforated cone, attached to the base,- B, and over this cone'a covering, I, of India rubber, or other suitable elastic material is placed, and secm'ed at its bottom by an annular clamp, J, which is screwed 'to the base. B. Y

This cone H has a brake or horizontal surface, j,

which serves as a bearing for the loweredge of theuppcr portion c of the chamber C, when the latter is lowered or letfully down, as shown in fw. 2."

K represents a steam-induction pipe, through which steam Lmay be let into the cone H, and

Tl is an eductionfpipe, through which the steam 'is let out or exhausted from the cone.

These pipes are provided with suitable cocks.

The operation is as follows:

The chamber() is raised, and the l'iatebody M placed over the covering I on the cone H. The chamber C is then lowered, sov that the lower edge of the upper part c, of the chamber C, will press the hat-body and coverin g on the horizontal slnifacej' on the cone. Steam is then admitted through the pipe K, into coneH and the covering I, and the hat-body will, under the pressure of the steam, be forced outward, and made to conform to the interiorof the part c of the chamber, and will be pressed upward against the under smface of the being formed in c, and the brim against the under sur- `face of the upper part of (l, the brim-portion of thev hat being stretched by the radial semicircular ribs e.

The heat of the steam penetrating tln'ough the ilexible covering I, greatly facilitates the operation of stretching the hat-body, by opening the texture of the fabric, and thus we derive both the advantage ofthe heat and expansive force of steam, to assist and perform the operation of stretching and blocking, and giving to the hat its proper shape or form.

The steam is now exhausted through pipe L, the chamber C raised, and the hat removed.v Another hat body is then placed over the covering I, andthe operation repeated.

Having thus described our improved machine for stretching and blocking hats, and indicated its mode `of operation, we do not claim, as our invention, over# stretching the brim of the hat, by corrugating or liuting the same; but

That we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. The perforated cone H, h'aving a recessed surface, f, in combination with the hollow-chamberV mould or former (l, arranged so as to pinch and hold fast the hat-body, substantially in the manner set forth.

2. In combination therewith, the conical ribsfe e e e, applied to and forming part of the horizontal upper surface of the chamber d of the box-mould or former C,1 substantially in the manner and for the pmpose specified.

3. The combination of the recessed perforated cone H, rlexible covering I, plate B, and steam-pipes K and L, with the box-mould C, arranged and operating sub. stantially as specified, so as to force a felt-hat body into the said mould (l, by applying the4 pressure of steam internally.

JAMES A, BALL.

Witnesse: PETER B. LAlVSOS` G. PAULDr-NG, e CHAS. H. FEnRis.

or eoLDl SPRING, NEW 

